As population and development continues to increase, it is important to conserve and protect the natural resources of Schuylkill County for future generations. There are many ways to conserve resources – from small steps that you can easily implement at home to larger actions such as placing your land in a conservation easement. Below are just a few of the ways that you can do your part to protect our land and resources. For more information, please contact the Schuylkill Conservancy or one of our many partners that are listed on the “Resources” page.

Land

Below are a couple of resources for managing your land for conservation:

• Would you like to improve your backyard habitat? A useful resource is Audubon at Home (AAH), which provides helpful techniques to enhance the habitat on your property for common birds. Click here to check out their website!

• Manage invasive species on your property. Invasive species are not native and can alter ecosystem processes when they are allowed to grow out of control, therefore it is important to management invasive species for the health of native plants and wildlife. More information about invasive species and management strategies can be found here.

You can also protect your land permanently through a variety of machanisms.

• A conservation easement is a tool that limits development or use of all or a portion of a property for conservation purposes. The property is still owned and controlled by the landowner and the easement stays with the deed, so the property will be protected in the future. You can learn more about conservation easements here.

• You may be able to donate property to a land trust or state or federal agencies if the property meets the requirements.
• If you own over ten acres of land that is capable of producing wood products, agricultural land, or open space that is open to the public; you may be elgible for Clean and Green. The Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act, known as Act 319 or “Clean and Green,” provides for lower property tax assessment for qualified land. You can read about the program here.

• There is also a Farmland Preservation Program in Pennsylvania.  You can read about that program here.

Water

Water runs off of impervious surfaces, such as driveways, roads and roof tops, very quickly. This stormwater runoff carries any pollutants that may be in its path. Often, this stormwater is directed into storm drains that go directly to the nearest stream or river without any treatment. Common household pollutants that can be easily washed into our nearby waterways include pet waste, litter, motor oil, and herbicides and pesticides.

So what can you do to help slow stormwater runoff and to reduce water pollution from your home or yard?

• Reduce the amount of impervious surfaces, or surfaces that do not absorb water. You can do this easily by using more plants. Larger plants, such as trees, have larger root systems, so they can absorb more water and filter more pollutants.
• Use native plants that are adapted to the region and that provide habitat for native wildlife.  Check out DCNR’s “Landscaping With Native Plants” brochure to select plants to use in your yard! 
• Use a rain barrel to reuse the water that runs off of your roof!  Click here to learn more about rain barrels and how you could make your own! 
• Create a rain garden, or planted depression, to allow runoff to slowly soak into the ground. Rain gardens can be pretty and fun to plant as a family!  Read more about rain gardens here. You can also plant riparian buffers, or an area of trees and shrubs along streams and waterways.  Riparian buffers  offer many benefits, including trapping sediment and pollution before it enters the stream channel.  Learn more about riparian buffers here!